1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a metal “wood” golf club head, and more particularly, to a metal “wood” golf club head having a metal component and a graphite component bonded together to form a composite club head.
2. Description of the Related Art
Golf club manufacturers have made new and different designs for golf clubs to improve a golfer's performance. Different materials including metals for the “woods” have been used to increase ball flight distance and improve the feel of the club. Various weighting schemes, including perimeter weighting, have been proposed to optimize the center of gravity and moment of inertia of club heads. Oversized club heads have been utilized to attempt to provide a large sweet spot on the ball striking face. However, the weight of golf clubs that can be used in professional events is strictly controlled by golf associations. Accordingly, particularly for the oversized club heads, weight or metal thickness in or around the faceplate may be sacrificed to allow adequate thickness throughout the entirety of the oversized head.
Perhaps the most important factor in hitting a golf ball well is the location of impact of the ball on the striking surface of the faceplate. A ball which is hit in the center of the sweet spot will generally go farther and straighter than a ball impacting near the heel or toe of the faceplate. The weight or mass distribution in or at the periphery of the faceplate becomes increasingly significant for hitting golf balls at a location moving away from the sweet spot. Thus, club designers seek to maximize efficiency of both on target strikes within the sweet spot and off target strikes outside of the sweet spot.